Voters reject sales tax increase

ALLEN COUNTY — The county’s sales tax was voted down by voters before the first penny could be collected.

Allen County voters rejected the commissioners’ efforts to add 0.5 percent to the county’s sales tax by 2,000 votes Tuesday. In the end, 55 percent of voters supported repealing the tax, compared to 45 percent who voted to keep the tax on the books.

Organizers of the repeal effort said they were pleased with the outcome. They now hope commissioners will move forward in managing the county without the additional $16 million the three-year tax would have brought in.

“We’re encouraging the county commissioners to take the recommendation of the auditor and treasurer and in the process, keep the employees in mind above all else,” said organizer Mark Vernick.

The commissioners passed the sales tax increase in July in the hopes of bolstering the county’s troubled budget and save county offices from deeper cuts and increased layoffs. It took less than a week for the opposition to rise up, led by Municipal Court Clerk and former Allen County Auditor Ben Diepenbrock. The months since have seen sometimes heated battle between those who supported the commissioners’ decision and those who wanted the tax repealed.

Peg Ralston was one of those backing the commissioners’ earlier decision. She voted Tuesday afternoon in Fort Shawnee saying that while she doesn’t necessarily like paying more taxes, the county needs money to provide services.

“We’ve got to support everything that needs done. It has to be paid for somehow,” Ralston said.

For most voters, the decision came down to the fact that in the current economy everyone is being forced to do more with less.

“I feel with the economy the way it is everybody’s got to tighten up. Everybody’s suffering so I think they [the county] need to tighten their belt like everyone else is,” said Mike Muhammad, who voted “yes” to repeal the tax.

Tim Dehaven, the Lima businessman who led the charge to keep the tax in place, said he was disappointed by the outcome Tuesday night. He said that nearby Findlay managed to pass a citywide income tax with support from businesses and media the Lima effort did not receive.

“I hate to say it, but it’s a difference in counties. The newspaper up in Findlay supported [the tax]. The businesses supported it. Don’t get me wrong, I love Lima, but I’m disappointed by this,” DeHaven said.